SHU's Evans returns to form in senior season

Updated 11:40 pm, Sunday, February 24, 2013

Since 2006 the Sacred Heart University women's basketball team has won three Northeast Conference championship and been to three NCAA Tournaments, and during this run, great players have followed one after the other for coach Ed Swanson.

When Evans averaged 11.3 points and 5.1 rebounds as a freshman, on the way to making the all-conference rookie team in 2010, the buzz began for the guard from Cazenovia, N.Y. Her numbers dipped slightly -- 9.4 points and 4.5 rebounds -- but overall, Evans avoided a dreaded sophomore slump. Her troubles arose last season when the Pioneers captured their third NEC crown and Evans was merely a role player, coming off the bench in 17 of 29 games and averaging just 4.5 points and 2.0 rebounds.

"I hit a bit of a rough patch, I guess you could call it," Evans said, with a smile. "But I stayed over this past summer and worked out with our strength coach. I worked on nutrition and strength training stuff like that and got myself back to where I was my freshman year."

The Pioneers (18-8, 10-4 NEC), who host Central Connecticut State at 7 p.m. Monday, have thrived this season with the return of the old Evans. In 26 games, Evans is averaging 12.4 points -- second on the team -- and 4.2 rebounds for SHU, which had its 10-game win streak ended Saturday against regular-season champion Quinnipiac.

"She stayed this summer and it was the first summer that she stayed, with basketball all the time," Swanson said. "Not that she didn't work hard at home, but it's different.

"Working with a strength and conditioning coach, that was the big thing and her confidence level (has increased)."

Evans' offense is certainly back up, but more important for the Pioneers has been her defense, with the senior assuming the role guard Alexis Campbell excelled in last season as defensive stopper.

"She's on the best perimeter player all the time," Swanson said. "I'm excited about her. I'm excited about the year she's having, a comeback year per se, and we wouldn't be where we are at without her."

The success on the floor has helped put Evans in a better frame of mind, and also made it easier to shake off a bad offensive night, which was not something she was able to do last season.

"Just being more confident (has helped)," she said. "Just being in the right mindset and knowing I can play and knock down the next shot. It's being able to move on to next plays if I have a bad play.

"It was definitely my own issues and I had to get them out of my head, you might say."